


A Home Away From Home

by sayanoraSanity



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Abusive Bro, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light Angst, M/M, Movie Night, Nobody actually dies don't worry, Slow Build, Suicide Attempt, first fic in a while, nice, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 19:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9840038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sayanoraSanity/pseuds/sayanoraSanity
Summary: In which Dave moves to a small town and meets a lot of interesting people who get into a lot of interesting situations.





	1. A Fresh Start

Moving sucked, that was just the fact of the matter. Moving sucked even more when you are being placed halfway across the country in a remote town in the care of strangers. Dave was being relocated because somebody finally found out about the abuse. Scars up and down his back was pretty hard to deny. So that's how Dave got here, sitting on a bus on a shitty cold day. Not cold enough to snow, just cold enough to suck balls.  
He had been on a plane for thirteen hours, and now on a bus for six more. This town was so fucking small they didn't even have an airport! Dave already hated the place, they probably grow all their food on their own and have farms. Dave was a city dude, lived in Texas his whole life. This change was going to be hard, especially since he couldn't bring any of his sweet turntables. He could bring the recorder, and got a refund for a lot of the equipment. Dave was positive he couldn't buy another one of those in the middle of nowhere.  
He had dozed off to one of his sick beats, and only woke up when the exhausted bus driver shook his shoulder. Dave shoved his glasses back on his nose, and collected his items. He got off the bus, and started down the dirt trail into the town. He could see a few buildings, but the rest was hidden by large hills. His puffy jacket kept his torso shielded from the cold, but his ears and nose were left unprotected. When he finally got up on the sidewalk he noticed a coffee shop. It looked well lit and warm, so he made a beeline for it.

Dave pulled the door open and slid into the warm building. It stunk of coffee and pastries. He saw a boy about his age at the counter, and when their eyes met he lit up. His nametag read ‘John’, and Dave pulled his backpack up a little more on his back.  
“Hey! Are you new in town? That's really crazy, we never have anybody new ever!” He smiled a bucktooth smile, and his sunny disposition was refreshing in what seemed like a dull town.  
“Uh, yeah I'm new. So you never have anybody new? Do you guys like all know each other?” Dave felt smaller by the second.  
“Yeah basically, but it's mostly the kids who know each other. The school is pretty small. I'm John!” he threw his hand over the counter as to offer a shake. Dave smirked and shook his hand briefly.  
“Cool name John, I'm Dave. Could I get some coffee? It's colder than Antarctica’s fucking goosebumps out there.” Dave faked a shudder to express his point.  
“Sure, what do you drink?”  
“Eh surprise me.” Dave took a seat at a table and checked his phone. To his surprise Sprint actually gave coverage out here. John placed the coffee on the counter with a muffin next to it.  
“Does the muffin cost extra?” Dave asked curiously as he picked the items up.  
“Nah, fresh batch. My sister loves to bake them by the thousands. She's really good at baking but I can't stand it. Her and my dad have made pastries for me for as long as I can remember!” he sounded exaggeratedly exasperated, and he said it with a grin.

“Sounds exhausting?” Dave took a sip of his coffee, and was pretty pleased with how it tasted. John better not have pissed in it or something.  
“You bet, but it's a nice gesture.”  
The two talked about nothing for about 30 minutes before Dave actually finished his muffin. They exchanged numbers and John pointed him in the direction of the foster home/orphanage. He crossed the street that was empty, Dave could guess this town was generally quiet on the weekends. His nerves had been settled by John's stupid jokes and tolerance of his jokes. John was a pretty cool dude. #nohomotho.  
Dave saw a large gothic building sitting in between two townhomes, it actually seemed to fit in in a weird way of course. Dave walked up the steps and got the chills. This could be totally fucking creepy and totally serial killery or it could be extremely bland. At this point Dave wasn't sure which he would prefer. He raised his hand and knocked on the door three times. About ten seconds of antagonizing nothing later the door opened.

The door swung open and revealed a beautiful tall woman. She had short black hair, and a green apron on over cropped jeans and a black t-shirt. She looked like a typical mom, except for the tattoos and black lipstick.  
She looked overjoyed to see Dave as she smiled a wide grin when she recognized him.  
“Dave? It's good to see you here safe!” She grabbed Dave by the upper arm and pulled him into the house. She shut the door behind them, and Dave immediately felt warm. The house was really warm, and smelled like vanilla. There was a couch where two girls sat watching television. On the floor another girl laid down on the carpet doodling in her notebook.  
“Kanaya! Our guest is here!” The lady shouted down the basement steps. She placed him at the table and Dave looked at the kids on the couch one more time. The kid on the ground looked dirty, she had bandaids and dark brown hair. She had huge green eyes and pajamas on. The girls on the couch were very different. One had long black hair that flowed nicely, large circular glasses and a bucktoothed grin on. She looked eerily similar to John. Next to her was a girl with red pajamas on, and messy tangled black hair. Her eyes were sunken and her skin seemed cold to just stare at.  
A fashionable teen appeared in the basement doorway, and sighed.  
“Yes Dolorosa?” She addressed Dolorosa who was brewing tea.  
“While I'm making tea why don't you give Dave the tour of his room?” She was polite and warm about it. Her aura seemed to ease Kanaya’s rigidness as she nodded.  
“Come with me.” Dave scrambled to follow her up the stairs and down the hall.  
“So her name is Dolorosa?” Dave asked Kanaya who seemed happy to answer his questions.  
“Technically no, she requests we all call her ‘Dolorosa’ instead of her birth name as it is very long and tedious. She asks even her daughters call her it.”  
“Oh, she's your mom?”  
“Yes, me and my sister help out with the home. We both have grown up with people coming and going but it has helped us form some good bonds.” She stopped at a door on the second floor at the very end of the hall. She opened it and Dave peeked in. It was very basic, except one side of the room had shitty movie posters all over the walls. The bed was messy and had grey colors. The closet door was open and laundry had clearly been shoved in there last minute. His roommate was shaping up to be ‘fun’ already.  
“Dolorosa will call when tea is ready, please always listen to her. She's very good at what she does.” It seemed like a warning as Kanaya closed the door leaving Dave alone.

Dave sighed and placed his backpack on his bed. At least he got the side of the room with the desk. He pulled his laptop out and plugged it in to charge. Dave’s recorder should arrive in a few days, so that's good. He sat down on his bed and peeled his jackets off. He made a move for the door, but when he opened it a short messy haired boy was on the other side. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before awkwardly shuffling around each other. Dave was a few inches taller then him, and much thinner. He was tall and skinny while he seemed short and puffy. Maybe it was the oversized grey sweater.  
Dave ran down the hall, still trying to process his expression. Confusion and anger possibly. Confusgy. Yeah that sounds good. Dave was too cool to dwell on it, it was now a thing of the past. He walked down the stairs and saw the three girls had barely moved. A new character was sitting at the table, talking.  
“And you know it's just so stupid! Why does ED insist on being right in my face the whole time? He's so needy and whines about everything!” the boy had messy blonde hair and really fucking weird eyes. His eyes were big and different colors. Bright red and pale blue. His tone was one of annoyance and he sounded tired His lisp made him even weirder. He dragged out the s’ and had a really nasally voice. Dolorosa turned and placed three teacups on the table.  
“Are you going to have any Sollux?” She asked gently. Sollux nodded and shakily took the hot teacup. Dave moved to sit down at the table, and Dolorosa smiled at him.  
“Are you settling in nicely?” She asked sliding a teacup towards him. Dave stared at the teabag before snapping back to attention.  
“OH yeah, the room's cool. I think I met my roommate? Small angry looking dude?” Sollux snickered and put his tea down.  
“Better not let KK catch you calling him small, he could whoop you!” Sollux smiled toothily, he had sharp fangs that clutter up his mouth. Could explain the lisp.  
“KK?”  
“Sollux shortens everybody's names if he finds it convenient, KK is short for Karkat. You two should get along, he was also the only room left.” Rosa (Dolorosa shortened) sat down next to Dave and sipped her tea.  
“Cool. Also do you have wifi?” Sollux lit up at the question.  
“Yeah, I set the router up myself!” This dude was either complaining or excited. Weird. He helped Dave connect his phone at least, he could write Sollux off as cool.

“So Dave, you came to live with us for a reason. I understand you probably don't want to talk about it, but this place is your home now. A lot of kids think they are going to hate the small town, but the coastal scents seem to clear people's minds and helps them heal. Your wounds are also going to be deeper than physical, but I can help you move past them. You can never truly lock away the pain, suppression hurts the mind and body.” Rosa was really smart and seemed to know a lot about this shit. She was pretty different then all of the therapists Dave had talked to, she didn't force him to talk or to cry or something stupid.  
“Can I call you Rosa?”  
She smiled and ruffled his hair.  
“Of course Dave.”


	2. Roommate

Dave found out helping Rosa cook dinner was funner then he thought it would be. They were making stir fry for 12, and it was kind of a mess. The dinner was ready at roughly 6, and the two set up plates and poured drinks. Then Rosa called everybody down for dinner. Dave hung the extra apron up and washed his hands. Dave took the spot Rosa had recommended at the table, and a few moments later Kanaya, and two other girls came up from the basement. One of them had bright red glasses and ginger hair. The other had dark skin and pitch black hair. She had round glasses also. The three lined up to wash their hands, and they took spots across the table from him. The three girls from the couch had moved to wash up, and filled in some spots. Two minutes later two boys came down, one of them was Sollux and the other was a taller kid. He had a purple stripe in his hair and dorky frames.  
Two spots were left empty once they sat down, and Rosa waited as stomping could be heard from upstairs. Dave knew that the only spot left must belong to Karkat, and oh boy was he excited to officially meet him. He thumped down the stairs and thumped into his seat after washing his hands. Rosa sat down at the head of the table and smiled at everyone.  
“So today is a special day, today marks the day we gain a new family member. Dave will introduce himself then we’ll go around and say our name, age, and something special about us.” Rosa nodded at Dave who suddenly felt quiet. However he swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke.

“I’m Dave Strider, I’m 14 and from Texas.” He kept it curt and let out a sigh after he finished. The next person was sitting across from him, it was Kanaya.  
“Hello Dave, I’m Kanaya Maryam and I am 14. I’m top of all of my classes in the local school.” She said proudly and the next person was sitting next to Dave. This pattern seemed to zigzag across the table for some reason. It was the boy with a purple stripe in his hair.  
“Hi Dave.. I’m Eridan. I’m 15.” He finished somberly. He gave off a very sad vibe, it was kinda suffocating. Next was the red shades girl.  
“Hi Dave! I’m Terezi Pyrope, I’m 13 and blind!” She had a very high shrill voice, but she seem really cool. Dave honestly never would’ve guessed she was blind. Sollux went next, and then was the girl sitting next to Terezi. She was kind of intimidating but Dave would never show it.  
“I’m Vriska I’m 14 and I’m better then you.” She said smugly, and Rosa frowned at her. Terezi lightly punched her shoulder, her grin still wide though. Dave didn’t think there was really a way to respond to that, so they continued. Next was the dead looking girl.  
“Hello Dave. My name is Aradia and I’m pretty glad to meet you.” Aradia smiled slightly at him, and Dave decided she wasn’t that bad. Next was what looked like Vriska’s and John’s lovechild.  
“Hi Dave, my name is Jade Harley! It’s super great to meet you!” She was also super optimistic like John. Dear god what if she was John and Vriska’s lovechild. Next was the dirty looking girl. She had a smudge of something on her cheek, and a cat hat.  
“Hello Dave, my name is Nepeta and I am an artist!” She said artist in a weird way and giggled afterward. The last person was Karkat. He looked annoyed that he even had to talk to Dave.  
“My name is Karkat Vantas, I’m 14 and my default mood is ‘pissed off’.” He all but snarled, and Rosa looked exasperated as she served up food. Dinner was eaten in a lively manner, everyone was very interested in what Texas was like.

 

Dave finished dinner, and everyone shortly after. It was apparently Nepeta and Aradia’s turn to do the dishes tonight. Rosa spent some time tidying before sending everybody up to get showered or do homework. Dave took a quick shower and went to the bedroom where Karkat was scribbling onto a math sheet. Dave had gotten dressed in the bathroom so he didn’t have to worry about any awkward encounters. Dave sat on his bed and texted John. A few minutes of silence later Karkat finally spoke.  
“What’s with the douchey shades?” Great. Great thing to ask, great way to kick off their friendship.   
“They’re not douchey, they’re ironic. Y’know ‘cause I am the total lord of irony.”  
“So you’re a tool. Good to know.”   
“Dude, would a tool be so fucking cool? I don’t even have a forced spray tan or anything.”  
“Maybe you’re not a tool, just an insufferable prick.” He had a straight face. This guy was seriously hellbent on making life terrible.  
“How long have you been here?” Dave decided to change the topic to something more… Less about him being a tool or a prick.  
“Three years.” Karkat said it casually, like it wasn’t a big deal. Which was really fucking weird.  
“Does anybody ever get adopted?”  
“Usually the younger kids. I’m in the age group where there isn’t much hope for me.” That meant so was I. Shit.  
“What do you guys do for fun on the weekends?”  
“I stay home but Terezi and Nepeta roleplay and color. Sometimes we go to the beach. Maybe we’ll go tomorrow. Now shut the fuck up and let me do my homework.” 

John texted him back so Dave and him had a pleasant conversation. Dave wandered back downstairs at 8 and saw Eridan on the couch reading. Dave peeked over his shoulder and questioned what the fuck he was reading. It was in some sort of Spanish, and Dave couldn’t read a word of it.   
“Do you need something Dave?” Eridan didn’t sound annoyed, just quiet. He closed his book and turned to look at him. Dave took a step back and shook his head.  
“No, sorry.”  
“It’s fine. And if you are wondering yes I am bilingual.”  
“Fluent enough to read full Spanish books?”  
“Yeah, I studied Spanish in my youth to pass the time.” Dave made a ‘huh’ sound as Eridan shifted his attention back to his book. Dave saw Nepeta sitting at the table while Aradia scrubbed the dishes. Nepeta seemed to be talking but not really talking. Aradia seemed disinterested in the mindless chatter. Dave opened the basement door and walked down the steps. It was well lit, and once he was at the bottom of the stairs he saw Terezi and Vriska. They were lying on a big bed, Terezi was playing with Vriska’s hair and Vriska was watching her phone. Dave felt like he shouldn’t be here, so he crept back upstairs. Rosa was in the kitchen and nodded at him when he came into view.  
“It’ll be lights out time soon, why don’t you go make your bed? I put some sheets and pillows on your bed.” Dave headed back towards the room containing Karkat, the truly the brightest ray of sunshine Dave had ever fucking seen. Well if the sun was screaming constantly and burning ten thousand times hotter. He really couldn’t bring himself to dislike Karkat though, he was funny sorta.

Dave entered the shared room and saw Karkat had pajamas on. His hair was slightly damp, and he had a huge long sleeved shirt on and crab sweatpants. He was sitting on his bed watching something on his laptop. Dave decided he should make his bed before engaging in shenanigans. Dave had a little bit of trouble but eventually he prevailed. He set up his nice comfy looking bed and laid down. He could honestly just fall asleep right now. But not before plugging in his phone. He then got under the blanket and tried to recap the day. The anxiety about coming here had faded, but he still was unsure about this place. His roommate was obnoxious and barely seemed to tolerate him. And his housemates were weird. He was pretty sure all the ladies in the basement were lesbians. Kanaya was way too sophisticated and fashionable to be straight. And Terezi and Vriska? He didn’t really know if lounging around in your underwear together was a ‘bff’ thing to do.   
I mean Dave had a refined Gaydar. It takes a gay to know one. Dave had known he was bisexual for most of his life. He never really told anyone though. Why would he? Who would he tell? He was an outcast in Texas and his Bro didn’t want to see him more than necessary. His process of realizing he was Bi was mostly just thinking ‘why pick one when you can have either’.  
Being bi did not mean he was totally down for a threesome though. He wasn’t one of those guys. Sollux came off as twitchy and unstable half the time and tired of everyone's shit the other half.   
He probably was if he had had to live here for a long time.  
Eridan was clearly a depressed fuck, but he didn’t seem that terrible. Nepeta and Aradia came off as odd. Jade seemed like the only normal person here, and that's saying something because she was still pretty weird.  
The thoughts of his new housemates were overwhelming. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to clear his head.

“Are you seriously going to sleep with your shitty sunglasses on?” Karkat’s voice raked through the silence.  
“Yes, and they aren’t shitty.” Dave didn’t really plan too, but now he had to. To prove Karkat right? Or something like that.  
A gentle knock on the door, and a different lady poked her head in. She looked like Kanaya and Rosa but different. Her hair was longer, she still had tattoos and was wearing a longer dress.  
“Hey kids, lights out. Karkat go to bed tonight. Nice to see you Dave, I’m Porrim.” With that she was gone, and she had turned the lights off as well. Dave decided there was probably no harm in going to bed now. Karkat however didn’t move and kept watching whatever he was watching. Dave was indifferent though, and laid back down.

-  
Dave woke up, his glasses pressed onto his face uncomfortably. He regretted it because once he looked in the mirror he realized he had marks left. Dave got dressed quickly and went downstairs. Rosa was at the table sipping coffee and talking to Eridan. It was well past 10. The timezone changes must be fucking with his head.  
“Hi Dave, you can have some cereal.” Dave nodded and realized how hungry he was. Having a real dinner last night felt really natural. It provided structure he needed that he didn't have with Bro. While he was making cereal he couldn't help but eavesdrop on what Eridan was saying.  
“A-and I know I'm probably an inconvenience to everybody but I really like it here. I-I wanted to thank you for your hospitality.” Dave took his cereal bowl to the couch and sat next to Aradia. 

“Mornin’ Dave. Today we're going to the beach to check on Gamzee and Tavros. Would you like to accompany us?” Aradia proposed the outing to him before the cartoons started.  
“Uh sure. Who's going and who’s Gamzee and Tavros?” Dave then proceeded to take a bite of his cereal.  
“Me, Nepeta, Equius, Kanaya, and Karkat most likely. He's a good friend of Gamzee’s. Gamzee lives alone on the beach, Tavros is a cripple but he likes to make sure Gamzee is eating. He actually shared a room with Karkat for a couple of months but moved out to live with his brother.” Aradia said it all in a blank tone, like she didn't really care.   
“Sounds fun.” Dave did want to check out the beach, this was the opportunity. Dave cleaned up his bowl and was told they would leave at 11. Dave decided to burn the time with YouTube.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh sorry about the lack of davekat-y interaction. Im planning something cute for the beach though! Gosh i love this story so much!!! Yay and more characters!! And more info on why everyone is so fucked up!!! And some more Terezi interaction hopefully, cuz I love that gurl.  
> Idk why I decided Nep and Aradia are galpals but they kinda are???? Alsso everyone is gay inna way  
> Good talk


	3. The Adventure

Dave knew the weather was going to be cold, so he put on his jacket around 10:53 and waited in the living room. ‘Equius’ had arrived earlier and was weird. He was sweaty and wore broken sunglasses for some reason. He was also Nepeta’s ‘bestest furrend’ according to her. They were just waiting on Karkat, who came down in a huge jacket and fuzzy boots. The posse set out on their adventure, apparently Nepeta and Equius only wanted to play on the beach instead of check on Gamzee. This was fine with Aradia, she was going mostly because she wanted to see Tavros. Kanaya and Karkat actually were going because they were worried about Gamzee.  
“So what's Gamzee like?” Dave asked Karkat.  
“A drug addict, he's fucking insane! He rambles about his dumbshit miracles and lays down the shittiest beats that you would ever hear! And this asshole is also a juggalo, like he couldn't get weirder!” Karkat ranted about his ‘friend’? for most of the way there. The wet beach came into view, and Nepeta ran off onto the beach. Equius followed her. A cabin stood on some cliffs over the beach, a lighthouse conjoined to it. The four walked up the path, and if Tavros was really a cripple how did he even get up here? Aradia knocked on the door, and they waited on the porch for 30 seconds.

A tall guy opened the door, his hair sticking out wildly and his face painted white like a clown. He looked happy to see Karkat.  
“Karbro! Motherfuckin great to see you!” He thumped out onto the porch and wrapped up the protesting Karkat in a bear hug. Aradia slipped inside and Kanaya followed. Dave watched awkwardly as Gamzee eventually dropped Karkat.  
“And who's this new motherfucker?” Gamzee seemed really chill, which Dave could dig.  
“That's Dave, he's an ironic douchebag.” Karkat sighed as Gamzee offered Dave a fistbump. Dave happily obliged. This dude was totally cool. The three went into the house, Kanaya was picking up dirty shirts and throwing them in the hamper. Aradia and Tavros were chatting, and Dave was surprised by how weird this place was. There was weird posters on the wall, and a pile of horns and a unicycle propped up against a wall. There was a couch across from a small TV, and some blankets on the couch. And one wall was dedicated to the word ‘honk’.   
Tavros seemed to be this small guy in a wheelchair, but right now he was on the couch next to Aradia. Gamzee sauntered over to Kanaya, and pulled her into a hug. She looked very uncomfortable but hugged him back.

“Why is Gamzee’s house such a mess? I mean I get he’s an addict but doesn’t he have a dad or something?” Dave asked Karkat, who looked back at him and sighed.  
“Not really, his dad is always away on business trips.   
Oh, so he was alone.  
“And what’s Tavros’ deal?”  
“He’s a cripple, he lives with his dad and brother.”  
“Was he born a cripple?”  
“No, Gamzee told me that when he was younger him and Vriska were playing on the beach cliffs when Vriska pushed him off the edge because of a stupid fucking argument.”  
“Dude, that’s illegal or something.” Dave couldn’t believe that actually happened.  
“The law cut her a deal because Tavros didn’t want to press charges. She went to juvie for three weeks though.”  
Karkat walked over to help Kanaya clean up the kitchen, so Dave took the opportunity to greet Tavros. Dave tapped Tavros’ shoulder, who flinched but turned to look at him.  
“Hey, I’m Dave.” Dave introduced himself, which relaxed Tavros.  
“Uh, hi Dave. I’m Tavros.” He reached out to shake his hand, and Dave complied.   
Dave felt out of place, so he took a seat on a recliner. He listened in on Aradia and Tavros’ conversation. Aradia seemed to notice though, and decided to involve him.  
“So Dave, why did you move here?” Aradia seemed genuinely interested, and Tavros looked at him eagerly. Dave felt his chest tighten a bit.  
“Have to keep some of my secrets.” Dave shrugged it off, keeping his voice level. Aradia frowned at him.  
“I'll go first, then you have to tell me at least one thing.” Dave nodded at the deal.   
“When I was 8, me and my mom were driving back home on a rainy day. We were going around the mountain but I guess some of the mud came loose, the avalanche hit and killed my mom. I broke my arm, two ribs, and got a concussion.” Aradia seemed very calm about talking about it. Tavros nodded.  
“After it, she uh moved into the foster home.”   
Dave was a man of his word, so he held up his end of the deal.

“I've never had this much food in 24 hours.” Aradia looked unphased while Tavros stared in shock.  
“You didn't eat? That sucks!”   
Dave felt itchy.  
“It wasn't just I didn't not eat… my Bro never bought food for me. I just decided rarely eating was easier than asking him for money.” Dave’s heart skipped a beat when he remembered what Bro did to him last time he asked for something. Karkat had apparently been eavesdropping, which was embarrassing.  
“So your ‘Bro’ didn't feed you?” He sat down on the couch next to Aradia.  
“I didn't need him to feed me. I could fend for myself.” Dave felt the need to become defensive even though Karkat clearly meant no harm by it. Karkat looked away, he looked annoyed. He always looked annoyed.  
“So Dave, are you enrolling in school?” Tavros changed the subject smoothly.  
“Yeah, I'd imagine so.” Dave hadn't meant to come off as so snarky. Tavros didn't act offended though.

“Dave, Karkat, Aradia, why don't we go out for lunch? Dolorosa gave me some money, Tavros and Gamzee have apparently already eaten.” Kanaya offered. Dave felt hungry, which surprised him. Aradia was starving though, so they bid their goodbyes and left the house. The wind had died down, and the clouds had cleared. Pale sunlight shined down on the cold town, and Dave inhaled deeply. The scent of seawater and fresh air made him feel lighter. Maybe that was a little cheesy. A little too cheesy for such a cool kid like Dave. This next part was definitely not cool. Dave stepped on a slippery rock and tripped. He had flailed his arms on the way down, and grabbed Karkat’s jacket. Dave landed face first on hard damp rocky sand, and Karkat’s ass thumped down next to him.  
He let down a slurry of curse words, while Dave's instincts told him he had been pushed. He had scrambled to his feet, and felt something warm drip down his lips. Dave had busted his nose. At least it wasn't broken. Kanaya rushed over and pulled out a tissue from her pocket. “Are you alright Dave?” Kanaya sounded so motherly. He did feel better after hearing her concern though.  
One tissue did not quench the blood however, and Dave felt stupid. He had two tissues stuffed up his nostrils, and a cut on his forehead. Karkat was angry at him, but Dave wasn't going to apologize. Instead he nearly cried. Nobody had ever cared to ask about him. He thanked Kanaya, and wiped his eyes.  
“Why are you crying?” Karkat hissed in a low voice.  
“I'm not, some mud flecks got in my eyes.” Immediate bullshit. Kanaya made the decision that Aradia could take the money and go get lunch. Kan wanted to take Dave home. Karkat also went back with them, his tailbone was now bruised from the brutal fall.  
They got home at 2 and found the house was quiet. Nepeta and Equius were still out, Eridan and a friend had gone shopping, Sollux was holed up in his room, Terezi and Vriska were hanging out at the cafe, and Jade was napping. Dolorosa was reading, but jumped up when she saw Dave's nose.

They sat in the bathroom, Dave on the toilet while Rosa crouched in front of him. She was placing a large bandage over his swollen nose.  
“Did you have fun before you fell?”  
“Nah, falling was clearly the best part of my day. But yeah, Gamzee is weird with his miracles and shit but it's funny. Tav is cool I guess, we didn't really talk. I just listened to them talk.”   
“Well I'm glad you know more people, I'm sure you're excited for school tomorrow.” Rosa smiled warmly at him, and patted his cheek. She got up and put the first aid kit away.  
Oh yeah, school. I'm sure that's gonna be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out... school has been hard recently.  
> More davekat feels promised next chapter, and Rose will make her debut.  
> If I don't hold up my promise, slap me  
> Tell me if you like it, please I love every kind comment. You guys are what encourage me to keep writing!!


	4. First Day Of School

Dave woke up at 6:00 AM. Fuck jetlag. He started his Monday morning with a sigh. His nose still ached, and his shades felt heavy on his face. Everything felt heavy, his hands, his legs, his heart. Dave was sad. Not because of what someone else had done, it was more homesickness. He didn't miss Bro, or school, or Cal… he missed the familiarity of a room. His room had been his safehaven, now it was gone. Dave sat up in his bed, the room was getting brighter as time went on. Early morning sunlight peaked through the curtains. Dave got up though, and got dressed. It was still pretty dark and he could hear Karkat lightly snoring, so it was safe. He grabbed his phone and crept down the hallway.   
Dave saw that the kitchen was empty, it was 10 to 7 so he didn't think it would be for long. He quickly assembled a bowl of cereal, and sat down on the couch. The first person he saw that morning was Porrim, she looked exhausted as she emerged from the basement. Dave finished his cereal and washed his bowl out. Dave could hear footsteps from upstairs, and doors opening and closing. He could only assume Rosa was rallying the troops.  
The kitchen and living room filled up with tired teenagers. Rosa called Dave to the bathroom so she could patch up his nose. Dave shut his eyes tight when she removed his shades. He kept them clenched as well. Not daring a blink.   
“How did you sleep?” She struck up friendly chatter.  
“Fine.” He shrugged.   
“That's good.” She got quiet as she pressed the bandage onto the bridge of his nose. She then placed the shades onto his face delicately. Dave exited the bathroom with a polite ‘thank you’ and saw Karkat arguing with Sollux.

“You got milk EVERYWHERE!” Karkat shrieked.  
“If you hadn't bumped your fat athh arm into me, I wouldn't have thpilled in the firtht plathe!” Sollux screamed back. Porrim jumped in to pacify their rage, and Kanaya cleaned up the milk. Dave stared in surprise. Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Karkat took a bowl of dry Honey Nut Cheerios and stuffed them in his face. Sollux got a glass of orange juice instead of milk. Breakfast was hectic, and the time to leave for school was approaching. Dave put on his jacket, shoes, and called it good. Aradia and Dave left first. The two were walking down the chilly sidewalk soon enough. The air had a bit of nip in it, but the clouds were thinning.  
“What's school like?” Dave started with a simple question.  
“It's fine. I think you'll share homeroom with me, Nepeta, Karkat, and Jade. Our teacher is nice. Really patient. Which is good for Karkat’s loud outbursts.” Aradia seemed so disinterested in the conversation, and Dave found it was kind of putting him off.  
“Are you always this weird?” Dave knew the question was rude, but Aradia didn't seem like she'd get offended.  
“Oh, I suppose not. Sollux has said that before the crash I was different. I remember a time when I was so interested in archaeology but now it's hard to smile.” Damn. Her answer was really fucking depressing.   
“Sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive.” Dave had heard that people can change after brain damage, which would explain her attitude.   
“Hey wait up!” A girl with bouncy brown hair, and glasses exclaimed from a while behind them. She was running after Eridan who was a few paces behind them. Dave turned around ignoring them, but it was kind of hard when they were shouting.  
“Don't touch me Fef.”  
“Look Eridan, I'm so sorry about yesterday! But that doesn't make it any less the truth!”   
“I always depended on you Fef, and now that you have revealed what you really think of me… Just leave me alone.”   
Dave and Aradia sped up. Once they couldn't hear the specifics of the shouting Dave sighed in relief.  
“What the hell was that?”   
“I-I don't know. They've always gotten along quite well. Well from my perspective.” Aradia shrugged and turned down the street. The school came into sight, and it looked like a typical high school.

Once inside, Dave followed Aradia to the main office. She then left to go get her stuff for homeroom.  
“Hello! How can I help you?” A kind voice spoke from behind the desk. She was short and pale, but had bright eyes. Her nametag read ‘Ms. Paint’.   
“I'm Dave Strider, I just need a schedule.” Ms. Paint nodded and looked at her computer real quick. She then snatched a piece of paper from her desk and handed it to him.   
“Have a good day Dave! Your locker number is 762 and combination is on the paper.” Dave opened the paper, and Aradia was right about homeroom. Dave wandered down the halls, passing a few kids he didn't recognize. He saw his locker number and Karkat. Of course he had the locker right next to his. Dave nodded at him, and Karkat sighed.  
“Morning douchefuck.” Karkat greeted him warmly.  
“Morning Karkles.”  
“Don't call me that!” He snarled. Dave felt smug. He found something that pushed his buttons.  
“Why Karkles? It's just a nickname.”   
“I despise you.” He said quietly.  
“Only despise?” Dave teased.  
“Fuck off Strider.” Ooh lastname basis. Dave decided he was done messing with him for now, so he followed Karkat to class.  
“I can't believe I share homeroom with you.” He sighed. Dave noticed how much Karkat slouched. He always frowned too. Would it kill the guy to smile?   
They entered the classroom, which had half filled up.  
“Can I sit wherever or what?” Dave asked Karkat.  
“Wherever.” Karkat then took a seat near the back. Dave saw a desk next to Aradia was free. He sat down next to her and smiled at her. She nodded at him. The class filled up quickly, and Dave saw John. John spotted him and smiled.  
“Dave!” He weaved through the desks. Dave got up and raised his fist for a bump. John obliged and sat down at the desk in front of Dave.  
An adult entered, she looked like a typical teacher. Medium length haircut, glasses, and a puffy sleeved dress. She picked up her attendance sheet and started.  
Once roll call was finished she looked at Dave.  
“We have a new student, Dave. My name is Ms. Serket. Alright let's start morning announcements.” Homeroom was boring and a simple introduction to the school.  
-  
Dave sat with John at lunch, and Jade joined them. Then another girl did too. She introduced herself as Rose. She seemed really cool. But she was trying to analyze Dave, which was weird. Kanaya also joined them, as did Vriska and Terezi.   
Vriska talked about John's shitty movie taste, while Terezi talked to Dave and Jade.   
The lunch period was going smoothly until Dave heard clattering in front of the lunch line. A big guy who looked like a jock knocked over Eridan. Dave could hear the harsh insults he was saying, and Eridan seemed to curl up. Why didn't he fight back? Eridan didn't seem like the kind of guy who would stand for this. Then Karkat stomped over there, and started screaming in his face.  
Karkat was furious, which shocked Dave. Well sort of.   
The jock moved to shove Karkat, but was stopped by Gamzee.  
“We gonna have a motherfuckin problem if you touch my bestbro.” Gamzee barely stood taller than the jock, but he seemed bigger. The jock backed away, and Karkat helped Eridan up. Dave looked back at his food and sighed. He barely knew anything about everybody and how they were connected. He barely had any connections. It was frustrating.  
-  
On the way home Dave caught up to Karkat.  
“Hey, so Karkat dude. I get you're friends with Eridan but why is the dude so shy? He was fighting with a girl earlier too, what's her deal?”   
Karkat sighed and scratched his nape.  
“The girl he was fighting with was Feferi Peixes. Eridan told me they were fighting because Feferi thought he was too dependant on her. Eridan had always been very needy, but that's not his fault. Nobody ever spent a lot of time caring for him. And the rest of it isn't your business. It's not for me to talk about.”   
“Thanks for telling me dude.”   
“Whatever.”  
A few moments of silence passed before Dave remembered his homework.  
“Hey are you any good at math? I don't have any idea how to do the homework the teacher assigned.”  
“Yes I'm good at math. Is there anything you’re good at?”  
“Making chicks fall for me.”  
“God I hate you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the Davekat was really minor, but I really wanted to introduce Feferi and some Eridan story. Also hey Rose showed up. Next chapter will definitely get some developement with Karkat and the four friendos


	5. Tutoring and Terezi

  “No Dave! It's 8 over 7.” Karkat snarled at him. Dave stared at his math paper blankly, still not grasping why 8 would go over 7. Where even was the 7? 

 “Karkat, you're a shitty tutor.” 

 “Is that how you thank me?” He slapped the back of Dave's head, making Dave wince.

 “Jesus, didn't mean to hit that hard.” Karkat looked at him in surprise. Dave had to push down a blush.

 “No I'm fine, you just got me by surprise.” It was technically true.

Karkat nodded and got back to the math.

 Then someone knocked on the door. Dave got up and opened it. It was just Kanaya.

  “Dave, hello. Can I come in?” Dave nodded and stepped aside. She came over to Karkat and sat down next to him. Dave closed the door and leaned back on it. “Karkat, I need some advice. I am in emotional turmoil over a certain person.” 

Dave felt like this was private.

 “Should I go?” Dave asked quietly.

 “Yes, that would be appreciated.” Kanaya said it politely. Dave nodded and left the room. Who else was fun in this house? Terezi, of course. Dave went down the stairs, and down more stairs into the basement. Terezi was sitting on a fluffy red carpet with several stuffed dragons, Vriska was nowhere to be found.

 

 “Hey Terezi, can we chill?” Dave was honestly kind of glad to get away from homework. Karkat explained things in the worst ways.

 “Yeah coolkid, sit on down.” She grinned in his general direction. Dave sat down across from her, he picked up and inspected one of the dragons closely. It was like it was staring into his soul. 

 “So Dave, Karkles finally kick you out?” 

 “Nah, him and Kanaya are talking about some private shit.”

 “Karkat is the guy to go to for love advice.” Her tone was sarcastic but Dave couldn't tell if she rolled her eyes. 

 “Why’s that?” 

 “The dude is obsessed with romance films! The shittiest ones too! It's literally the only reason Nepeta and him are friends! Did you know once that asshat called Nepeta autistic? Sometimes I don't know where he gets his balls.” She went back to tying a noose around one of her stuffed dragons necks.

 “Seriously? How insensitive, I would never do anything so  _ horrid _ !” Dave mocked a posh voice.

 “How  _ indecent _ !” Terezi joked with him. Dave smiled and she cackled.

After a few moments of quiet, Dave sighed.

 “Where's your girlfriend?” He asked, looking around.

Terezi frowned

 “I don't know, and I don't care.” She gripped her dragon tightly.

 “Whoa what happened? Yesterday at lunch you guys were smacking faces together.” 

 “Dave, that's gross. But she told me after we got home that she kissed John. The one guy she knows I despise! I just told her to go away, I think she wants to date us both but I'm not interested in ever coming in contact with John ever again.” Terezi finished, and chewed her bottom lip. 

  “Damn, that fucking sucks. Can't believe John would kiss  _ her _ . No offense but she's a smug bitch.”

  “None taken. Dave, the worst part is I can't even bring myself to hate her. She technically cheated on me… but what if it's my fault? I've been pushing her away…” Terezi grabbed the noose rope around the dragon in her hands neck, and pulled it tight. 

  “Terezi, I don't know much about relationships but I think you should probably take a break.”

  “Yeah, your right. Thanks Dave. Now back to you, you don't know much about relationships?” She deviously changed the subject.

  “Uh… yeah. I've never really dated anyone, I never met anybody who was into me.” 

  “Ha, that's okay. I know Nepeta is infatuated with Karkles, but it'll never happen. He's too, him.”

 “Whaddya mean, ‘too him’?” He made quotation marks at ‘too him’. 

  “Oh ya know, he's aggressive, angry, shouty. Nobody has ever handled him before. I think it's puberty.”

  “Dang. Anymore juicy gossip for me?” He wiggled his eyebrows, as if she could see him. Stupid.

 “Sooo much, like how Eridan used to like Feferi but Feferi totally broke his heart? And how Eridan and Sollux are growing close?” She let out a cackle and threw her head back. It was infectious. 

 “God everyone is so gay here.” Dave rubbed his eyes.

 “Oh yeah, Nep is panromantic, Aradia is asexual, Eridan is pan, Sollux is gay, I'm Bi, Vriska is bisexual I guess. She told me she was a lesbian but I was lied to. Kanaya is sooo gay, Jade is a straight sweetheart, and you just don't seem straight.” She shrugged.

  “Takes a Bi to know one.” Dave admitted to her easily. Terezi was cool, easy to talk with.

  “Awesome.” She raised her hand for a fistbump, and Dave complied. 

  “Dave, can I feel your face?” Terezi asked after maybe ten minutes of chatting.

  “Sure.” Dave was cool with it. Terezi got on her knees and gently tapped his cheeks. She kept a good distance as she patted down Dave’s face. Then she touched the shades.

 “Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?” 

 “Irony dude.” Then she took them. Dave felt exposed, like a nerve. Panic seized him. He immediately ripped them out of her hands and scrambled away from her. 

 He looked back at her once he put his shades back on.

 “I'm sorry Dave, I didn't mean to freak you out. I can hear you breathing. Answer me.” 

 “It’s fine TZ, just don't do that again.”

Dave crept back over to the carpet, and sat down next to Terezi.

 “So not just irony?” 

 “Yeah no.”

 “I'm blind, you can tell me.”

 “I could, but then I'm not mysterious anymore.”

 “That’s true.” She grinned and playfully punched his shoulder. Then Kanaya appeared on the stairs.

 “Hi Dave, you can return to your room now. Sorry to kick you out.”

 “It’s fine, see ya TZ.” Dave got up and went upstairs. Once he got to the room, he saw Karkat on the bed on his phone.

 “Are you still helping me with my homework?” Dave asked. Karkat looked at him and sighed.

 “After dinner Strider.” 

Dave sat down on his bed and put his unfinished homework into his backpack.

“So Karkat, you like rom-coms?” 

Karkat looked up in mild annoyance.

“Was it not obvious?” He motioned to his wall of movie posters.

“Dude I don't know any of those other than the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’.” Karkat stared at him mouth agape.

“Dave, what the fuck do you even do with your life?”

“I make ironic comics and sweet beats.”

“That's stupid.”

“Your movies are stupid. I mean, what even is ‘My best friend's wedding’?” He motioned to the poster and sighed.

“A classic!” Karkat hissed.

“You are literally a 20 year old woman.” Dave stretched to pop his back.

“Am not! I will prove to you how good my movies are, you will watch a movie with me Sunday night. Then you will be forever changed, enlightened by the glory that is rom-coms.” Karkat challenged.

“I'll watch your shitty movie, and it'll suck. I will fight you on this.”

“Then it's a bet. Loser has to swim in the ocean.”

“Deal.”

This was fucking stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA IM STILL ALIVE  
> Sorry everyone is fuckin dramatic as hell in school. Fanfiction is the only place I can escape *dramatic sigh*  
> I wanted some more Terezi, she bae. If you cant tell I ship dave and her a small bit. THATS NOT WHAT THIS FIC IS ABOUT. Maybe next time. Tell me if that would be cool  
> Also yes  
> Scheduled movie date  
> Yes  
> Can u guess who kan is in turmoil about haha


	6. Coffee and Movie Night

 Dave was spending Sunday afternoon with John and Rose. They were walking toward Starbucks, and they were making chit chat.

 “So John, I heard you kissed Vriska.” Dave said once the conversation faltered. John turned to Dave, his face bright red. Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise.

 “D-Dave! How did you find out?”

 “Her? Really?” Rose sighed

 “Oh, I found out from her now ex-girlfriend.” Dave hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he was angry. John wrecked Terezi’s happy relationship. Rose then looked even more surprised. John looked at his feet.

 “I didn't know she had a girlfriend until the next day when she told me. I especially didn't know it was Terezi.”

 “Terezi?”

 “God you two are getting so much action.” Dave let out a sigh.

 “Rose?” John looked at Rose. Rose shrugged.

 “What do you know that you aren't letting on to Dave?” Rose questioned. Dave would tell her but he wasn't sure she knew yet. Better to play it safe.

 “Let's get some coffee.” Dave avoided the question. 

 “Do you know somebody that has romantic feelings for me?” Rose asked, analyzing his expression.

 “Can't say, gentleman's honor.” 

 “Dave I don't think that's a thing.” John crossed his arms.

 “Dave who is your source?” 

 “TZ, she hears everything.”

Dave opened the door for John and Rose. He entered after them. To his surprise he saw Feferi working the counter.

 “Hi! How can I help you today?” She was annoyingly happy.

 After they ordered they grabbed a booth in the back.

 “Dave how do you like living in the home? I've heard that's where you're residing.” Rose was analyzing. 

 “Yeah, I share a room with Karkat. The dude is a nerd. I actually have a movie “date” with him tonight.” Dave did air quotations. John looked up from his phone after he said it though, not seeing the quotation marks.

 

 “Dave you’re,a homosexual?” 

Dave couldn’t have face palmed harder.

 “Yes John, I'm flaming gay. I mean can't you tell from my fabulous exterior?” Dave said it with as straight a face he could manage.

 “I know you're messing with me.” John humphed and leaned back in his booth.

 “Karkat is a funny character.” Rose commented.

 “That dude sucks, I think he hates me but he's really weird about it.” John said.

 “I think he's funny.” Dave shrugged.

Then their coffees were done. They sat back down after retrieving them.

 “Why did you move here Dave?” Rose really needed to stop analyzing Dave. It was annoying.

 “Oh ya know, stuff.” Dave poorly avoided the question.

 “Did your parents die?” 

 “No.”

 “Did you run away?” John asked half jokingly.

 “Totally.”

 “Were you given up for adoption?”

 “I wish.” Oops. Rose definitely noticed that one.

 “I see.”

Dave took a nervous sip of his coffee.

 “Were you abused?” 

The question was rude. Dave felt the need to hide. Whenever someone asked him before, he hid it quite well. But now he felt like he couldn't. He had come here for a reason.

 “Little invasive don't you think?” Thank god for John Egderp. 

 “You're right, I'm sorry Dave. I completely overstepped my bounds.” Rose retracted from the conversation. Dave could breathe a little easier. Dave checked his phone and saw Kanaya was texting him.

 

‘Dave, It's Your Turn To Help Make Lunch. Please Come Back Soon.’

 “Sorry guys, I have stuff to do at the house.” Dave was eager for an escape from the now awkward conversation. He walked home, his legs covering as much ground as he could. When he turned the corner onto the house, he saw Nepeta in the window. She waved to him as he walked up the steps. Dave waved back. Once inside he saw Aradia and Sollux talking on the couch. Kanaya and Eridan were in the kitchen.

  “Hey guys.” Dave greeted the two.

  “Hello Dave.” Kanaya greeted him. Eridan nodded and went back to buttering some bread.

  “What's on the menu today?” Dave rubbed his hands together.

  “Just grilled cheese. You can help Eridan butter the bread. Please get out a plate.” Kanaya instructed him. Dave got out a large plate and handed it to Kanaya. He then stepped next to Eridan.

  “What's up dude?” 

  “Not much.” Eridan responded quietly. Dave couldn't help but wonder why he was so freaking depressing. 

Lunch came along quickly, Kanaya and Dave made some extra sandwiches and then called people to the meal. Everyone happily took one, Dave too. He sat down at the table next to Jade and Karkat. Lunch passed uneventfully, and Dave went up to his room. He sat down on his bed, and put on his headphones. He listened to some shitty raps, and nodded along to.

~

  Karkat had set up pillows and his laptop. Dave had gotten blankets, and some snacks. The two sat down in front of the laptop, and Karkat hit play. Dave laid down and did his best to focus on the movie. He couldn't help noticing Karkat chewed his nails. It was kind of weird. He also clicked his tongue a lot, which Dave had to chide him about. Karkat was a funny guy. His hair was always messy, and his skin was the lightest shade of tan. Thank god Dave wore shades so Karkat couldn't see how much he was staring at him.

 The movie was halfway through when Karkat got up to use the bathroom. Dave decided against pausing the movie, and instead took Karkat’s pillow to prop himself up more. When Karkat got back, he stared at him in frustration.

 “Strider, give me back my pillow.” 

 “Nah dude, grab another from your bed.” Dave clung to the pillow. In a normal situation Dave wouldn't have even taken it, but he wanted to annoy Karkat. Maybe that wasn't normal.

 “Strider, give me back my fucking pillow or I'll never tutor you ever again.” 

 “Lame threat, you aren't even a good tutor.”

 “Fuck you.” Karkat latched onto one side of the pillow and pulled. Now Dave and him were wrestling for a pillow. Dave didn't want to rip the pillow, so he let it go. And then Karkat rolled back and hit his head on the floor. Dave couldn't help bursting out in laughter. Karkat growled at him and slapped him with the pillow. Dave gasped, and grabbed his own pillow. Then they had a pillow fight. Karkat won by knocking Dave so hard he fell over. They laughed about it for a few minutes before realizing they hadn't paused their movie.

 

In the end Dave won, he still thought the movie was cheesy as fuck and Cliche. Karkat held up his end of the deal and agreed he'd swim in the ocean tomorrow after school. Dave knew it was stupid, but he actually hadn't minded watching the movie with Karkat. It was fun. Maybe they could do it again sometime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be fun as fuck to write. I have an outline for the next few chapters. Please tell me if you like it, people letting them know they like it is basically all that keeps me going. I do it for the fans ^=^


	7. The Beach and Brawls

 Dave and Karkat were walking to the beach, Dave was really excited. Karkat hated Dave for this. It was definitely not the warmest day out, and the waves were rolling normally. Dave couldn't say what was going through Karkat’s head, probably something about how shitty and awful this was going to be. Dave stopped once they were a couple of feet away from the waves. 

 “Did you bring a swimsuit or something?” Dave asked the unamused Karkat.

 “No. And Dave if I drown I will come back from the dead and pull your balls out through your mouth.” He looked dead serious. Dave let out a half laugh, and watched as Karkat took off his shoes, socks, and jacket. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt today, and jeans. Dave watched as Karkat waded out into the water. The agreement was he had to get completely submerged at least once. Karkat was shuddering as he got up to his waist and then turned around to look at Dave. Dave was cracking up, he looked like a wet cat. His shirt clung to him and his hair had bunched up. 

  Karkat then dunked his head underwater, and when he came back up he looked like a really unmajestic mermaid. Dave watched in amusement as Karkat stalked back up to Dave, and when Karkat was close enough he latched onto him in a hug. Dave could feel the water soaking through, and he shuddered.

  “Dude Karkat get off of me!” Dave tried to pry Karkat’s arms off of him, but the dude had iron grip. Dave stopped for a second and noticed how bad he was shuddering. 

  “Oh right we forgot towels.” Dave laughed and Karkat let go.

  “I fucking despise you with every fiber of my being Strider.” It was hard to take him seriously when he was trembling like a cold puppy. Dave noticed how big his eyes were, they were a beautiful dark brown. Dave stop staring into the pretty boys eyes and get him somewhere warm. And as if it couldn't get worse, Karkat then stepped on pieces of glass. Karkat let out a shriek of pain, and he was bleeding. Karkat set down and cradled his foot.

  “You okay?”

  “No dumbass, I just stepped on sharp glass!” He snarled. Dave seriously couldn't believe how shitty Karkat’s luck was. Dave could pick him up, he is pretty small. Dave would be lying if he said his stomach didn't get butterflies at the thought.

  “I could carry you.”  he offered. Karkat looked up at him briefly and then sighed.

  “Only if you never tell anyone ever.” Karkat was wet, bleeding, and defeated.

  “Gentleman's honor.” Dave smirked and walked over to Karkat. He easily lifted him up into bridal style. Karkat blushed and holy shit it was the cutest thing ever. Karkat noticed him staring and he whacked him.

  “Stop staring at get walking.” Dave had put Karkat’s clothes in his backpack, and Dave was not happy with the fact he was getting damp. Jeez, how was Dave gonna explain why Karkat’s soaked in ocean water and has a bleeding foot? Dave hiked up the hill, and pulled Karkat closer as he let out a huff.

  “Don’t squeeze so hard.” Karkat complained.

  “Would you rather I drop you?” Dave sighed. Of course Karkat couldn’t be grateful in the slightest. Dave could’ve just made him walk, but Dave’s to good a person to do that. Karkat was definitely not light either, he was still the size of a short teenager. 

 

  Dave walked up the front steps but couldn’t open the door. Karkat opened it and pulled it closed after them. Aradia and Eridan were on the couch, and they just stared. 

 “What the in the fuckin’ world are they doing?” Eridan asked Aradia, who shrugged.

Dave carried Karkat up to the bathroom, and put him on the side of the tub.

 Dave was no doctor but he knew how to patch up cuts and clean up blood. He got a washcloth and lightly dabbed the blood up. Karkat winced, but didn’t complain. When the blood was cleaned up, there was no glass in the wound.

 “Do you need me to run a bath for you?” Dave asked in a baby voice.

 “Just bring me a towel this time Strider.” Karkat shot him a dirty look.

Dave went out into the hall and opened the closet door. He snatched a towel and delivered it to Karkat.

 “Thanks Dave.” Karkat said as Dave was closing the door. Dave nodded at him, but once he closed the door his stomach was aflutter.

 Did Dave have a crush on Karkat? On the shoutiest and most frustratingly adorable guy on the planet? It was more than likely. Dave couldn’t help his terrible hormonal teenager brain going to the thought of Karkat bathing. God Dave was a pervert. Dave needed a distraction, he thought of texting Rose but she was probably busy doing therapist stuff. John was a good choice. Dave opened his texts and saw he had missed two calls from John. Weird.

  Dave called him back and nearly had a heart attack when John picked up.

 “DAVE, WHERE WERE YOU?”

 “On the beach, dude why did you call me like a bazillion times?”

 “I was just hanging around when this fucking brawl broke out. Long story short, two kids are in the hospital and one is in the slammer. It was fucking terrifying.”

 “Who was fighting?”

 “I didn’t recognize the guys, but once the first guy knocked out the other guy Nepeta attacked him! And this guy was huge, he was super tall and had facepaint and hair…”

Oh shit.

 “Is anybody dead?”

 “No, but it was awful! They had to drag the hair guy away and he knocked out like three officers.”   
 “Damn. You aren’t hurt right?”

 “Nope, I’m fine other then the emotional damage.” 

 “That sucks.” Dave felt bad for Nepeta, and Karkat. What’s Karkat gonna do when he finds out his ‘bestbro’ nearly killed two people? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yess more Davekaty feels, yes Dave is so gay for him yesss  
> Then we get some Karkat development ,, and yes I have lots of more chapters plans!!!
> 
> WHOOO BROKE 10,000 WORDS


	8. Late Night Talks

 Dave sighed and popped his neck. He then moved down the hall, he heard the bath draining. Karkat could probably wrap his own phone. Dave wasn't gonna baby him. Dave heard the front door opening, and he caught the sight of Rosa running out the door. Dave saw Terezi was being comforted by Kanaya. 

 “So, you guys heard I'm assuming?” Dave was somber. Terezi seemed torn up.

  “Yes, unfortunately.” Kanaya looked at her feet. Terezi had pulled her knees to her chest. 

  “I can only imagine how distressed Karkat will be once he hears the news.” Kanaya said, looking at the stairs. Dave scratched his nape and sighed.

  “Yeah, it's gonna suck.” Dave went back upstairs when he heard shouting. Dave couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation coming from Eridan and Sollux’s room.

 “If you like her so much, why don't YOU date her?” It was distinctly Eridan’s voice because of the warbling accent.

  “ED, you have it all wrong!” Dave decided he didn't want to listen anymore. He stuck his hands in his pocket and saw Nepeta’s bedroom door was open. Inside was stacks of drawing pads and coloring pencils. It was kind of weirdly warm. Dave felt a pang in his heart when he remembered Nepeta might never see this room again. He was getting more and more depressed. Why was this town so fucked up? It had been all fun and games until two kids were beaten nearly to death.

 

 Dave saw the bathroom door was open, and be looked into his room. He saw Karkat putting on socks.

 “Hey dude. Have you heard what happened?” Dave asked him once he closed his drawers.

 “No, what?”

 “Kan can fill you in on the deets, but shit went down.” Dave summarized. 

Karkat gave him a look, and walked past him. Dave decided to follow him. He waited until Karkat was downstairs, and Dave stood on the stairs listening.

 “What? Are they dead? What happened?” Karkat’s tone became more and more panicked.

Dave listened as Karkat bundled up and ran out of the house. Dave couldn't believe what a shitshow this had become. At least when he was at Bro’s he didn't have drama like this. Is this what being a teenager is like? This can't be normal.

 Dave decided going after Karkat was better than shadowing everyone. Kanaya said he probably went to the police station. It was nearly five once Dave figured out where the fuck the police station was. He saw in the lobby was Karkat. He had his arms crossed. Dave slipped inside and moved to sit next to him. Next to him meant two seats away at least.

 “Hey dude.”

Silence. Dave waited.

 “I talked to him.”

Karkat’s voice was low, he sounded defeated.

 “He told me it… it felt good to bash Nepeta’s head in.” Karkat was chewing his lip and holding back tears. Dave felt his stomach drop. Gamzee hadn't seemed capable of something so horrific. This was inhuman. He was a monster.

Dave scooted a seat closer, Karkat looked at him.

 “Dave I should've stopped it. I could've been there to comfort him.”

 “Karkat you had no way to know how he'd react. You had no idea he was capable of this.” Karkat nodded. Dave didn't really know what he was saying, but it calmed Karkat down. 

 

 Dave and Karkat walked out of the police station. Dave was trying to be there for his friend/crush. So he walked with him. They walked until the stars were out, until the sky was blue. The night was chilly, and Dave noticed how tired Karkat was getting. Dave directed them home. Once they got home they had cold macncheese, and changed into warmer clothes. Dave laid his head down and took his shades off. He laid facing the wall so Karkat couldn't see his eyes. His phone buzzed. Why was Karkat texting him when he was literally right across from him? 

 

CG: DAVE, I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME THINGS OFF MY CHEST

TG: yeah bro whats up

CG: THANK YOU

CG: I HAD LOTS OF DOUBTS ABOUT YOU AT FIRST, BUT NOW I SEE YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY THAT COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY STUPID

TG: im flattered

CG: AS YOU SHOULD BE, I ALSO REALIZE I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT YOU

CG: IT'S KINDA LIKE WE'RE FRIENDS WHO DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EACH OTHER

TG: isnt that exactly what we are

CG: I DIDNT ASK FOR YOUR OPINION

CG: TELL ME WHY YOU WEAR THE SHADES AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY IM IN THIS HOME

 

Oh shit. Dave could deny him, but that would ruin every chance Dave had of being friends with him.

 

TG: sure dude, but you cant tell a soul

TG: like nobody ever 

TG: i wear them to hide my eyes, dude you've seen my white hair and white ass skin

TG: my whole life my bro told me i was different and people would dislike me cuz of it

TG: i never understood why he told me that, or him at all really

TG: he was awful

 

A moment of silence.

 

CG: BEING DIFFERENT ISN'T THAT BAD

CG: AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT MY DAD WOULD TALK ABOUT

CG: MY DAD PROTESTED AND PREACHED FOR EQUALITY

CG: THREE YEARS AGO HE WAS AT A BLM LIVES MATTER, AND COPS WERE SHOOTING PEOPLE

CG: MY DAD TOOK A BULLET FOR ONE OF THE KIDS GETTING SHOT AT

CG: HE DIED DOING WHAT HE LOVED

CG: HE SAID DYING FOR A CAUSE IS BETTER THAN DYING UNHEARD

Dave could hear sniffles coming from Karkat’s bed. Dave got out of bed gently and crept across the room. Dave was in a long sleeved red and white record shirt and some boxers. He was charming. He sat down on the edge of Karkat’s bed.

 “I feel like whoever cares about me gets hurt. I don't know why.” Karkat had curled up and was all but bawling. Dave sat next to him in silence. Dave had no idea how to comfort him. So he decided to wing it. That's what cool kids do. Dave stood up and took a deep breath.

 He pulled his shirt off and tapped Karkat’s shoulder. Dave knew he probably couldn't see very well, so he opened the curtains a bit. Dave didn't want to think about how disgusting it was. How revolting Bro had made his body. Karkat stared, his eyes wide and still teary.

 

 “Who did this to you?”

 “My Bro. He was “training” me, I guess. I don't know why he thought this was the way to take care of a kid.” Dave shrugged. 

 Karkat sat up on his bed.

 “We both have pretty shitty lives.”

 “Yeah.” Dave smiled weakly. Karkat looked up into Dave's eyes.

  “Put your shirt back on. You seriously don't need to be half naked any longer.” Karkat ruined the moment. Dave laughed quietly and closed the curtains. He put his shirt back on and slipped into bed.

 

 “Hey Dave.” Karkat’s voice was quiet.

 “Yeah?” Dave whispered.

 “I think your eyes are pretty.” 

 Dave blushed hard enough for his cheeks to be as red as his eyes.

 “That's gay.” Dave whispered as a cover for his swoon.

 “That's the point Strider.”

 What.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW THAT WAS GAY  
> SO GAY  
> IM PLEASED WITH HOW IT TURNED OUT   
> LOVE ME SOME CHEESY FLUFFY SHIT NICE   
> tell me if you liked it plz, I need encouragement. Everything is so sad irl rn ;×;


	9. Continuation

Okay so basically I've wrapped this story up how I wanted it to be.

I actually finished it. I wanted a kind of open ending, so that when I finally write the continuation for this I can improv details xD

But yeah, I'm not done with this universe. I WILL COME BACK

The next fanfic will kinda be like after Dave graduated and went back to school in Texas. It's him and Karkat’s meeting after maybe 3 years of being apart 

I'll explain it better in the new fic.

Look forward to 'Familiar Faces'

Yep 

Also I'm writing a new series called Homesmut  
If you can guess what's it about   
Give me AU's, kinks, ships all that shit I guess.

Alright I'm out~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks


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